Supporting Roles #03: Luke
CCEA
School of Discipleship
January
25, 2026
Introduction
Welcome to our third class in our “Supporting Roles” series. This week we will look at the gospel writer
Luke.
Homework Review:
This week we were supposed to…
Memorize:
(Mark 10:43 NKJV) Yet it shall
not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be
your servant.
Mark 10:43
I want to take a few minutes to do a little unpacking of our memory
verse. I will try to do this for the
remaining two verses as our class progresses.
The context of our verse is that Jesus and His disciples are on their way
towards Jesus’ last trip to Jerusalem. James and John have a question for
Jesus. Matthew (20:20) tells us that it was their mother pushing them to ask
the question. Their request was about their position in the coming kingdom:
(Mark 10:37 NKJV) They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand
and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”
They wanted to go to the top of the list of Jesus’ disciples.
When the other disciples heard what James and John were asking, they were
just slightly ticked off.
(Mark 10:42 NKJV) But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know
that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and
their great ones exercise authority over them.
In the Gentile world, life is all clawing your way to the top and not
worrying about who you have to push out of the way to
get there.
Then Jesus said,
(Mark 10:43 NKJV) Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become
great among you shall be your servant.
Jesus doesn’t want His followers acting like those in the world.
:43 whoever desires
The word “desires” is thelo, and means “to have a desire for
something, wish to have, to want”
It’s a present, active, subjunctive – describing a
“possibility”.
It’s not necessarily describing someone who is definitely seeking “greatness”.
It’s describing a hypothetical case, “if someone should
desire…”
When James and John came to Jesus to ask for a better “position”, they used
this exact same word (thelo) in the same case and mood…
(Mark 10:35 NKJV) Then James and John, the sons of
Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us
whatever we ask.”
Jesus is directing His answer squarely at them and their desire for
position.
What do you want in life?
Do you secretly crave “position”? Do you want to be
“famous”? Do you want to be “greater” than those around you?
:43 great among you
Jesus wasn’t just targeting those wanting to win “American Idol”. He was directing his comments to those inside
His group of disciples.
Even inside the church, we can find ourselves wanting to
compare ourselves to others or try to get ahead of others.
Why do we do this? Because we want to be “better” than
someone else.
:43 shall be your servant
The Old King James uses the word “minister” here.
When I was a young kid, the church we went to called the pastor the “minister”. He was the man up front
with the long black robe.
The word for “servant” is diakonos, someone who gets something done
when he’s asked, it’s being someone’s “assistant”. It’s used for someone who
serves food and drink like a waiter.
It’s kind of like what Jesus would do at the last supper
when He washed the disciples’ feet.
Illustration
A man went out to this restaurant not long ago and met the
waitress of his dreams. About halfway through dinner, he noticed his baked
potato had big brown spots going all the way through. So, he called the
waitress over and said, ‘Ma’am, this potato is bad.’ She nodded, picked up the
potato, and smacked it. Then she put it back on his plate and said, ‘Sir, if
that potato causes any more trouble, you just let me know.’
Now just because a person is a “server” doesn't mean that we shouldn't
treat them with respect. Paul wrote to the Corinthians,
(1
Corinthians 16:15–16 NLT) —15 You know that Stephanas and his
household were the first of the harvest of believers in Greece, and they are
spending their lives in service to God’s people. I urge you, dear
brothers and sisters, 16 to submit to them and others like
them who serve with such devotion.
service - (grk: diakonia)
Treat your waitress well.
In God’s kingdom, you don’t become a leader by pushing your way to the top,
you become a leader by being a servant.
Luke
His Name
In Greek, his name is Loukas, which is a “Greek/Roman” name that
means “light giving; luminous”
His name appears even less frequently than does
John Mark’s (last week’s study), though it does overlap in three of the same
passages that Mark is mentioned. I’ll put those passages in my notes.
From Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome:
(Colossians
4:14 NKJV) Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you.
(Philemon 23–24
NKJV) —23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.
From Paul’s final imprisonment as he awaited execution:
(2 Timothy
4:11 NKJV) Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him
with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.
Other than these three passages, though I’m going to show you that even
though Luke is very much present in the Bible, he is also very much invisible.
Paul tells us about Luke’s profession.
(Colossians
4:14 NKJV) Luke the beloved physician and Demas
greet you.
physician – iatros – one who undertakes the cure of physical
ailments, physician.
Notice Luke’s own commentary on those in his profession:
(Luke 8:43–44 NKJV)
—43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent
all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, 44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And
immediately her flow of blood stopped.
There are a few places where Luke, as a physician, gives a wee bit more
exact description of a disease than does Matthew or Mark.
When Peter’s mother-in-law was sick:
(Mark 1:30 NKJV) But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever…
But Doctor Luke records it like this:
(Luke 4:38 NKJV) But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick
with a high fever…
When a leper came to Jesus:
(Matthew 8:2 NKJV) And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord,
if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
But Luke records it like this:
(Luke 5:12 NKJV) …a man who was full of leprosy
saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if
You are willing, You can make me clean.”
Eusebius was a church historian writing around 300AD
said that Luke was a native of Antioch.
Eusebius, the Church historian,
writing a little more than a Century later, and who spent much of his life in
collecting and editing the records of the first beginnings of Christianity,
relates that “Luke, who was a native of Antioch, and by profession a physician, for the most part a companion
of Paul, and who was not slightly acquainted with the rest of the apostles, has
left us two books divinely inspired[1]
He is the author of two books of the New Testament:
The Gospel of Luke
The Acts of the Apostles
In Luke’s own words, he wrote his gospel before he wrote Acts.
The Gospel of Luke was probably written around AD 60.
The Acts of the Apostles was probably written around AD 62.
Luke’s two books are the only ones in the Bible written by a Gentile.
Luke will even give a bit of a Gentile slant to his gospel by taking time
to explain Jewish customs or translate Hebrew words.
Did you do the reading assignment for today?
Luke 1
:1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in
order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us,
:2 just as those who from the beginning were
eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us,
:3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect
understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly
account, most excellent Theophilus,
:4 that you may know the certainty of those
things in which you were instructed.
:1 many have taken in hand to
set in order a narrative
By the time of Luke’s writing, there were already “many” accounts of the
life of Jesus.
I’d imagine that some were accurate (like Mark), and others were not.
:2 those who from the beginning
were eyewitnesses
eyewitnesses – autoptes (“autopsy”) – seeing with
one's own eye
This is a medical term that a doctor
would be familiar with.
Some of Luke’s sources were “eyewitnesses”.
The apostles who were with Jesus from the start
As you read through the first chapter, can you guess who one of the other eyewitnesses
was?
We believe Luke must have spent considerable time with Mary.
There are a great many details that only Mary would know
that are only in Luke.
Peter reminds us that the apostles were indeed there when Jesus lived…
(2 Peter 1:16–18
NKJV) —16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known
to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but
were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father
honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This
is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we heard
this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
ministers – huperetes – one who functions as a helper, in a
subordinate capacity, assistant
:2 delivered them to us
Luke is telling us that the things he’s written were collected from these
eyewitnesses.
:3 having had perfect
understanding
perfect – akribos – focus on careful attention, accurately,
carefully
understanding – parakoloutheo – to pay careful attention to
something in a segment of time, follow a thing, follow a course of events
Perfect active participle – gained understanding and kept it
Luke has studied the accounts of the eyewitnesses thoroughly.
:3 to write to you an orderly
account
orderly account – kathexes
– one after another, successively, in order
Luke tells us how he’s put this book together.
He has done research and has accumulated eyewitness accounts (vs.2) of the
things of Jesus’ life.
He’s taken the time to put it all together into a clear order.
:3 most excellent Theophilus
most excellent – kratistos (superlative)
– mightiest, strongest, noblest, most illustrious, best, most excellent
This is the same person he writes the book of Acts to.
His name means “God lover”
This is the person to whom Luke is writing to.
It may be a real person named Theophilus.
Some have suggested that this was Luke’s “boss”. In those days, physicians were often slaves,
owned by a wealthy person.
Some have suggested that it is written to all believers since “Theophilus”
means “lover of God”.
:4 instructed – katecheo (“catechism”)
– to teach orally, to instruct
When Luke writes his “Acts of the Apostles”, he starts the book in much the
same way, telling us that he’s taken great care to get the record right. (Acts
1:1-3)
(Acts 1:1–3 NKJV) —1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began
both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken
up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles
whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself
alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during
forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
:3 to write to you an orderly
account
Quiz Alert!
Lesson
1. Get it right
Luke tells us he’s worked hard to gain a “perfect understanding”, or an
accurate understanding in the things about Jesus.
And he’s worked hard to put it all together into this “orderly account”.
I think that sometimes we can be a little bit sloppy when it comes to our
theology, or our “understanding of God”.
Sometimes we can pick up little ideas about God here and there, things that
aren’t quite right.
“God helps those who help themselves”
“You need to be good to go to heaven”
“If you have enough faith, you will be healed”
Others can have the notion that they are a Christian simply because they go
to church.
Play Video: Chuck on Living the Word
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DT3HLaSAqIA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Here’s what the Bible teaches about how we are saved.
1. No one is “good” enough
None of us are.
(Romans 3:23 NKJV) for all have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God,
None of us are “good enough” to get to heaven on our
own. It’s impossible.
It would be like trying to jump across the English
Channel.
Show Video: Jumping the English Channel
https://youtube.com/shorts/zsKU3iJldZ8?si=JP0KSYOF75uOwE-P
2. Jesus died for my sins
The only way to get rid of sin on your record with God is
for a price to be paid.
(Romans 6:23 NKJV) For the wages of sin is death…
Death is the cost to take care of sin.
This is why Jesus laid aside His glory in heaven and
became a man. He came to die for our sins.
He paid a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we
couldn’t pay.
John the Baptist said it at the beginning of Jesus’
ministry:
(John 1:29 NKJV) The next day John saw Jesus coming
toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world!
One of the verses we will be memorizing is:
(Mark 10:45 NKJV) For even the Son of Man did not come
to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
By the way, this is proof that
God loves you. He loved you enough to
send His Son to die for you.
(John 3:16 NKJV) For God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but
have everlasting life.
3. Salvation is received, not earned
One of the chief ideas behind the word “grace” (charis)
is that of a “gift”.
(Ephesians
2:8–9 NKJV) —8 For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
To receive God’s salvation, you must simply “believe” and
“receive” the gift that God offers you.
(John 1:12 NKJV) But as many as received Him,
to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in
His name:
Can you imagine one of your kids or grandkids getting a
gift at Christmas and never unwrapping it?
Even so, we too must “receive” or “unwrap” God’s gift of
salvation.
Play Video: Micah’s Present
4. Salvation brings a new life
Something should change inside of you.
We call this being “born again”.
Jesus told a Jewish scholar Nicodemus:
(John 3:3 NKJV) Jesus answered and said to him,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see
the kingdom of God.”
You are given a “new nature”, one that loves to follow after God.
(2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV) Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away;
behold, all things have become new.
And that means that your life begins to change.
Others should be able to see that something has changed
inside of you because you begin to act differently.
It’s important that we (like Luke) work to get these things “right”.
Did you do the assigned reading in Acts 16? Are you curious why I assigned
those verses?
Last week we were looking for “Waldo” (John Mark). This week we will be looking for the
“Invisible Man” (Luke)
Acts 16
(Show all this on a map)
Last week we saw Paul and his new traveling companion Silas heading back to
the Galatian churches to see how they were doing after Paul’s last visit with Barnabas.
In Derbe and Lystra they came across a young man named Timothy, who joined
Paul and this band of missionaries.
But from there it seems that Paul lacked a sense of clear direction. Watch
the map as I read…
(Acts 16:6–10 NKJV)
—6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia,
they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but
the Spirit did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they came down
to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the
night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to
Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision,
immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called
us to preach the gospel to them.
:6 forbidden by the Holy Spirit
Doesn’t it sound strange that they were told to NOT preach the gospel in
Asia (this would be to the west, to cities like Ephesus)?
They were also prevented by the Spirit to go to
Bithynia.
Quiz Alert!
Lesson
2. Hearing the “no”
How were they forbidden to go Asia? Circumstances? Secular legal trouble?
An impression from the Lord?
We don’t know.
It’s not always easy to know what God wants sometimes.
Sometimes God answers our prayers by simply replying “no”.
Sometimes when God says “no”, it’s just “no for now”.
The gospel will be eventually preached in Asia, and Paul
will spend three years there. Just not now. When John writes Revelation, it
starts with the letters to the seven churches of Asia, this very region.
If God “whispered” a “no” to you, would you hear it?
Illustration
A long time ago, in the early days of cell phones, I
helped take one of our kids’ classes on a field trip. A bunch of parents divided up the kids into cars. We were taking the kids all
the way through L.A., and so I suggested that those drivers that had cell
phones swap phone numbers so we could stay in touch in case we got separated.
We got everyone’s phone numbers, then took off. I was the last car, and got
separated immediately from everyone, even before we got on the freeway. I
thought, “Aha, I’ll just phone them and tell them to drive slowly until I catch
up!” But they all had their phones turned off!
Are you even open to the Holy Spirit speaking to you? Is
the phone on?
I want to learn to grow more sensitive to the Spirit’s leading.
I want to be like the little boy Samuel. He had this sense
that someone was calling his name but didn’t realize that it was God. Eli the
priest taught Samuel how to respond when God called his name …
(1 Samuel 3:10 NKJV) Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel!
Samuel!” And Samuel
answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”
Illustration
A few years ago I asked my doctor
to test my hearing.
I was concerned because I was finding that I was saying
“huh?” quite a few times when people talked to me.
I found out I have “mild to moderate” hearing loss.
I think it probably comes from sitting next to the drummer
for so many years in the worship band.
So now I have “hearing aids”.
They aren’t perfect. There are still times I can’t make
out what someone is saying. But they are way better than not having them.
I wonder if having more of God’s Word in our hearts is a
little like getting “hearing aids”.
The more I know of God’s Word, and the more I respond by
obeying God’s Word, the easier it is to hear when God would want to speak a
word to my heart.
I have to admit that every once
in a while I hit a brick wall on something I’m pursuing, and after one
or five tries, I begin to realize that this is something that God simply
doesn’t want me doing.
I’ve learned that even though I can still push through and do that “thing”,
I realize later I would have been better off if I had simply not done it.
Illustration
Like that guy on a diet who started thinking of donuts.
“God, if you don’t want me to get a donut, please don’t let there be a parking
spot in front of Krispy Kreme”. And sure enough, there was a parking spot, the
twentieth time around the block.
But I’ve also been learning that sometimes life is a lot easier when you
just say “Yes Sir” when God says “no”.
I know this all sounds a bit “touchy-feely”, and hearing the Lord’s voice
can seem quite “subjective”, but I think sometimes we cheat ourselves from
learning the great joy that comes from being “led by the Lord”.
:9 A man of Macedonia stood
There’s a lot of discussion about who this “man” is.
I’ll leave more in my notes.
I just think there’s a definite connection between this “man” and Luke.
Yes, Eusebius tells us he was from Antioch, but you’ll see Luke also will
spend a lot of time in Macedonia.
We aren’t told how Paul knows the man in this “vision” is from Macedonia.
Macedonians considered themselves “Greeks”.
They would have dressed like all other Greeks.
Perhaps Paul talked to this man in the vision.
Who is the “man from Macedonia”?
Sir William Ramsay, in his book “St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman
Citizen” (1884) was a scholar who set out to disprove that Luke had written the
book of Acts, but because of his extensive archaeological research and
experience in the Biblical lands, realized that Luke indeed had written the
book.
He also wrote, “Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his
statements of fact trustworthy. …[He] should be placed along with the very
greatest of historians.”[45]
Ramsay held that Luke himself was this “man from Macedonia”.
Luke the author never explains it, but you will see that
Luke will indeed travel with Paul to Macedonia, specifically to Philippi, and
stay in Philippi while Paul continues to travel the world.
When Paul passes through Philippi later, Luke will rejoin
Paul.
Some folks disagree with Dr. Ramsay because the ancient historian Eusebius
said that Luke was from the city of Antioch.
But here’s a few things to keep in mind.
Paul is in Troas when he gets this vision. Perhaps he had his “eye”
problems at this time.
Sir William Ramsay suggested Paul was in Troas to get medical help.
He would have already been having the “eye” problems he
mentions in the book of Galatians (Galatians 4:12-15; 6:11)
(Galatians
4:12–15 NKJV) —12 Brethren, I urge you to become like
me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all. 13 You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel
to you at the first. 14 And my trial which was in my flesh
you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even
as Christ Jesus. 15 What then was the blessing you enjoyed?
For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own
eyes and given them to me.
(Galatians
6:11 NKJV) —11 See with
what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!
Perhaps he meets Luke while seeking medical help.
Then Paul has the vision. What if it’s of Luke in Macedonia asking for help? Yes, I know much
of this is conjecture. Just something to
think about.
When Paul leaves Troas, Luke is with him.
How do we know Luke is with him?
:10 after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go
Pronouns are a big thing nowadays, aren’t they?
Before verse 10, Luke refers to Paul and his group as “they”.
After verse 10, Luke switches from “they” to “we”.
Luke is now with Paul.
(Acts 16:11–15
NKJV) —11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to
Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, 12 and from
there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a
colony. And we were staying in that city for some
days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside,
where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who
met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia
heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who
worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us,
saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and
stay.” So she persuaded us.
The first city that Paul and company settle down in for a few days is
Philippi, one of the main cities of Macedonia (we think of it as northern
Greece).
This trip to Macedonia is an important church history marker.
It’s the first time the gospel crosses onto the European continent from
Asia.
The first person to get “saved” is not a “man” (“come and help us”), but a
woman named Lydia.
:15 she and her household were baptized
household – oikos – “house”
I don’t think I ever noticed this word regarding Lydia before. In Philippi…
Paul was involved in “family” ministry (see Acts 16:31)
(Acts 16:16–19
NKJV) —16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl
possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much
profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and
cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most
High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned
and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out
of her.” And he came out that very hour. 19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they
seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the
authorities.
Paul and Silas will be beaten without being tried.
They will be thrown into prison. And then…
(Acts 16:25–26
NKJV) —25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to
God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly
there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were
shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and
everyone’s chains were loosed.
The jailer is freaked out, thinking all the prisoners would have escaped,
but when he finds out they are all still there…
(Acts 16:30–31
NKJV) —30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be
saved?” 31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be
saved, you and your household.”
The jailer and his family become believers and are all baptized.
The next day Paul and Silas are released and asked to leave the city.
(Acts 16:40 NKJV) So they went out of the prison and entered the house of
Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.
What happens with Luke is not obvious at first, but he apparently decided
to stay behind in Philippi.
You won’t see any more “us” or “we” in Acts until Acts 20.
I wonder if Luke is staying behind to help this young
church in Philippi get established.
But unlike what John Mark had done (Acts 13:13; 15:38), Luke wasn’t the one
who “left”. It seems that Luke decides to stay behind in Philippi while Paul
and Silas left by being kicked out of town.
Acts 20
Paul will come back around to Philippi several times on his third
missionary journey. See if you can tell
where the Invisible Man (Luke) appears.
(watch on the map as I read…)
In Acts 20, Paul has just escaped the riot in Ephesus
and he will head north towards Macedonia and the church in Philippi.
(Acts 20:1–6 NKJV)
—1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself,
embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia.
He will write his second letter to Corinth from Philippi in AD 56. I
imagine Luke might still be there.
2 Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many
words, he came to Greece 3 and stayed three months.
It’s there in Greece (Corinth) that Paul will write his letter to the
Romans AD 56.
And
when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided
to return through Macedonia.
So Paul is once again back in Macedonia.
The churches in Macedonia include Berea, and Thessalonica.
And Philippi (where we last saw Luke)
4 And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia—also Aristarchus and
Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus
and Trophimus of Asia.
Paul is heading back to Asia, towards Ephesus.
I’ve always loved seeing this group of guys with Paul. They are from all the places Paul has been.
He’s picking up disciples as he moves forward.
5 These men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas. 6 But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened
Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
Did you catch the change of pronouns in verse 5&6?
Luke again uses “us” and “we”.
Luke is traveling with Paul from Philippi to Troas.
From this point on, until the end of the book of Acts, Luke seems to be
with Paul.
Luke will travel with Paul to Miletus where Paul will meet with the elders
from the church in Ephesus.
(Acts 20:13–15
NKJV) —13 Then we went ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, there intending
to take Paul on board; for so he had given orders, intending himself to go on
foot. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to
Mitylene. 15 We sailed from there, and the next day
came opposite Chios. The following day we arrived at Samos and stayed at
Trogyllium. The next day we came to Miletus.
Luke was there when Paul was talking to the Ephesian elders about what lay
ahead …
(Acts 20:22–24 NKJV)
—22 And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the
things that will happen to me there, 23 except that
the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations
await me. 24 But none of these things move me;
nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy,
and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel
of the grace of God.
:24 none of these things move me
We saw the problem that Paul had with John Mark last week when John Mark
“quit” the mission and went home.
Paul doesn’t.
Now Paul is being regularly warned about his coming arrest in Jerusalem.
Some see Paul as being foolish for ignoring the warnings since these
warnings are coming from the Holy Spirit.
I don’t think so. I see Paul
following the example of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is simply giving Paul a “head’s
up” of what to expect.
Quiz Alert!
Lesson
3. Eye on the prize
Is there something that could stop you from serving Jesus?
(Luke 9:57–62 NIV)
—57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will
follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and
birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first
let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead
bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go
back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus
replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service
in the kingdom of God.”
Each of these people were being challenged with the kinds
of things that would make them stop following Jesus.
For some it’s all about comfort – but Jesus doesn’t
promise you a nice place to sleep.
For others its family obligations – which are not a bad
thing – unless your family is keeping you from doing what God wants you to do.
For others it’s about all the “other things”, the other
things we want to do in life.
Paul was being warned about “chains and tribulations”.
Things were going to get rougher than he’s known yet.
They weren’t enough to make him quit.
I think one of the keys to finishing with joy is to remember who is at the
end of the race.
(Hebrews 12:1–3
NKJV) —1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider
Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become
weary and discouraged in your souls.
Jesus is the one at the finish line.
We are looking forward to the day when we see Him face to face and hear Him
say, “Well done, good and faithful servant”.
I think you will see the impact of Paul’s example in Luke’s life. He’s learning not to quit.
It may not always be obvious, but from Acts 20 to Acts 28, if you look
hard, you’ll find invisible Luke hiding in the pages. He is with Paul through
all these chapters.
I’ll have some of those verses in my notes.
He will travel with Paul to Jerusalem where Paul is arrested (Acts 21)
(Acts 21:1–14 NKJV)
—1 Now it came to pass, that when we had departed from them and set
sail, running a straight course we came to Cos, the following day to
Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2 And finding a ship sailing over to
Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. 3 When we had
sighted Cyprus, we passed it on the left, sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre;
for there the ship was to unload her cargo. 4 And finding
disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to
go up to Jerusalem. 5 When we had come to the end of those
days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with wives
and children, till we were out of the city. And we knelt
down on the shore and prayed. 6 When we had
taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship, and they returned home. 7 And when we
had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the
brethren, and stayed with them one day. 8 On the next day
we who were Paul’s companions
departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist,
who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 Now this man
had four virgin daughters who prophesied. 10 And as we
stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own
hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at
Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the
hands of the Gentiles.’ ” 12 Now when we heard these things, both
we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my
heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for
the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 So when he would not be persuaded,
we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”
(Acts 21:15–17
NKJV) —15 And after those days we packed and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Also some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and brought
with them a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to
lodge. 17 And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
Luke will document Paul’s imprisonment and trials in Caesarea. (Acts 22-26)
Luke will be onboard the ship when Paul is taken
to Rome. (Acts 27)
(Acts 27:1–8 NKJV)
—1 And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they
delivered Paul and some other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion
of the Augustan Regiment. 2 So, entering a ship of Adramyttium,
we put to sea, meaning to sail along the coasts of Asia. Aristarchus, a
Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us. 3 And the next
day we landed at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him
liberty to go to his friends and receive care. 4 When we had
put to sea from there, we sailed under the shelter of Cyprus, because
the winds were contrary. 5 And when we had
sailed over the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra,
a city of Lycia. 6 There the centurion found an
Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy, and he put us on board. 7 When we had
sailed slowly many days, and arrived with difficulty
off Cnidus, the wind not permitting us to proceed, we
sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone. 8 Passing it
with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of
Lasea.
He will be shipwrecked with Paul on Malta and travel with Paul to Rome where
Paul awaited his first trial before Caesar (Acts 28)
(Acts 28:11–16
NKJV) —11 After three months we sailed in an Alexandrian ship whose
figurehead was the Twin Brothers, which had wintered at the island. 12 And landing at Syracuse, we stayed three days. 13 From there we circled round and reached Rhegium. And after one day
the south wind blew; and the next day we came to Puteoli, 14 where we
found brethren, and were invited to stay with them seven days. And so we went toward Rome. 15 And from
there, when the brethren heard about us, they came to meet us as far as Appii
Forum and Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. 16 Now when we
came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the
guard; but Paul was permitted to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded
him.
Last week we talked about Paul’s final years after the book of Acts.
Paul apparently was released after his first trial.
But around AD 64, Paul will once again be arrested.
One historical tradition has it that when Nero burnt Rome, he blamed the
Christians for the fire, and Paul was executed as one of the leaders, perhaps
because of the fire.
We don’t know for sure.
When Paul sends his final letter to his protégé Timothy, he fills in
Timothy with information about his companions.
(2 Timothy 4:9–11
NKJV) —9 Be diligent to come to me quickly; 10 for Demas
has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for
Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is
with me…
Paul would be beheaded shortly after writing this.
:11 Only Luke is with me
Quiz Alert!
Lesson
4. Faithful Friend
Luke is a good example of a faithful friend.
Only he stayed with Paul to the end.
A few years ago (2018) an excellent movie came out called “Paul the Apostle
of Christ”. The part of Paul was played
by James Faulkner and Luke was played by Jim Caviezel (Jesus in the “Passion of
the Christ”).
It is currently playing on Netflix.
I particularly like the way they portray the things that happened towards
the end of Paul’s life.
I want to show a clip about the end of Paul’s life when Luke was visiting
Paul in prison.
If you’re watching online, due to copyrights, you will need to click on the
link in this lesson’s description to see it.
Watch Video clip: Paul the Apostle – Paul and Luke’s reunion
https://youtu.be/fSs-pYe_QtI
Solomon wrote,
(Proverbs
17:17 NKJV) A friend loves at all times, And a brother
is born for adversity.
He also wrote,
(Proverbs
18:24 NIV) One who has unreliable friends soon comes to
ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Not all friends are “true” friends. But some friends are
priceless.
Job didn’t have such good friends.
His friends were the first to jump on him and accuse him of all sorts of
wrong things. Job said,
(Job 6:14 NKJV) “To him who is afflicted, kindness should be shown by his
friend, Even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
David had some good friends in life.
One of them was Jonathan, Saul’s son, the crown prince of Israel. After David slew Goliath…
(1 Samuel
18:4 NKJV) Jonathan took off the robe that was on
him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his
belt.
When David was fleeing from his rebellious son Absalom, he had a friend
named Hushai who agreed to stay behind in Jerusalem and help steer Absalom the
wrong way.
(2 Samuel
15:34 NKJV) But if you return to the city, and say to
Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I was your father’s
servant previously, so I will now also be your servant,’ then you
may defeat the counsel of Ahithophel for me.
(2 Samuel
15:37 NKJV) So Hushai, David’s friend, went into the city.
And Absalom came into Jerusalem.
(2 Samuel
16:16 NKJV) And so it was, when Hushai the Archite, David’s
friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the
king! Long live the king!”
Be a good friend.
Luke would eventually die a martyr at age 84. John Foxe (“Book of Martyrs”) wrote he was
hanged on an olive tree by the idolatrous priests of Greece.
Quiz
From the lecture (10pts):
1. Get it right
2. Hearing the “no”
3. Eye on the prize
4. Faithful Friend
Homework
We will be looking at sisters Mary and Martha next
week.
Read: Luke 10:38-42; John 11; John 12:1-11
Read: Romaine: The Reason for Writing This Book (2 pgs)
Memorize:
(Mark 10:43–44
NKJV) —43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become
great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever
of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.
Superbowl Sunday is in two weeks (Feb. 8). Just so you can
plan for it, we will NOT be meeting in person, but I will still be making a
video for you all to watch, and a quiz to take, all online.
Prayer/Blessing